Lions members in Australia have the opportunity to introduce governance and management changes that will make us leaders around the world, not only in Lions but for all service organisations striving to better serve their members and the community.

To achieve this important milestone in our history the Multiple District Council will move a proposal to the Townsville Multiple District Convention in May 2018, to establish an Advisory Board to the Council.

The role of the Advisory Board is to support many of the administrative and operational functions on behalf of Council, enabling the Council to focus on its core missions; the coordination of effort across our large Multiple District, providing for the care of members, recruitment of new members and delivering the objectives of Lions Clubs International.

Why? Put simply, Council must focus on developing our organisation rather than simply managing projects, and its 12 month tenure of is simply not long enough to achieve our goals. Every year we come to this same realisation and its time to acknowledge that we can and should do something about it. For the past 3 years we have worked hard to look for a solution which we now have and will to put to the 2018 Convention for your support.

With Council to drive the development of our organisation, and the Lions Advisory Board providing continuity between Council, we believe we have a winning, leadership combination for success!

The Lions Advisory Board is seeking Lions skilled in organisation management who will for a term of four years to support the Council with effective strategic advice.

Time to step up! Nominations close 5 March 2018

If you are a Lion with experience as a director; of your own company, in business, government or in the not-for profit sector. If you have skills and experience in developing strategy and leading organisations, this may be an opportunity for you.

The Lions Advisory Board, if adopted at Convention, will need four Directors elected to the initial Board. The Council Chairperson will also sit on the Board as Deputy Chairperson, during their year of office.

The Lions Advisory Board will meet several times each year, alternatively by teleconference and in-person. Meetings will be businesslike, focussed and generally brief so it will suit Lions who have great skills but limited time.

Nominations must be provided to the Executive Officer in writing by 5 March 2018

Intending Nominees can call Executive Officer Rob Oerlemans at the National office to discuss the process and requirements on a strictly confidential basis.

From our International Leaders

“What a great opportunity for Lions with Directorship experience to contribute to the growth and development of Lions in Australia””

Past International President
Barry J Palmer AO

“I am excited by the concept of the Lions Advisory being considered at our forthcoming Convention in Townsville.

If approved, it will provide a key change in the way we administer our MD, a great opportunity for Lions with experience to be involved in shaping our future, and much-needed support to our Governors.”

CA – Constitutional Area

Lions Clubs International organises the world into seven ‘Constitutional Areas’. Our Constitutional Area serves Australia and PNG, New Zealand and the Pacific, or Indonesia and is known as CA7 – Constitutional Area 7

CA7 – Constitutional Area 7

Lions Clubs International organises the world into seven ‘Constitutional Areas’. Our Constitutional Area serves Australia and PNG, New Zealand and the Pacific, or Indonesia.

Cab Sec – Cabinet Secretary

A Lion who serves on the District Governors cabinet as the Secretary.

CBL – Constitutions and By-Laws

A Lion serving on the District Governor’s Cabinet who is responsible for interpreting the Constitution, By-Laws and Policy and providing advice to the District on these matters.

DG – District Governor

A District Governor leads and guides a District for a twelve month term.

DGE – District Governor-elect

The Lion elected at the District Convention to stand as next District Governor, inducted at the next International Convention.

ID – International Director

A Lion serving on the International Board. Our Constitutional Area(CA7) usually, has one member on the Board drawn from either, Australia and PNG, New Zealand and the Pacific, or Indonesia.

GAT – Global Action Team

The Global Action Team works to deliver outcomes for Lions in Leadership, Membership and Service.

It comprises the Global Membership, Global Leadership and Global Service Team. Lions at all levels, Club, District, Multiple District or Internationally work in these teams.

MyLCI

The electronic Membership Database held by Lions Clubs International

MD – Multiple District

Lions is arranged into Districts. Districts come together in a group known as a Multiple District. Australia and PNG is called Multiple District 201 and made up of 19 constituent Districts. New Zealand and the Pacific is MD202 and Indonesia is MD307

LCI

It’s not really an acronym. Leos is the name for the youth clubs in Lions. Young people can join Leos from the age of 12 and stay with Leos till they reach 30. Older Leos often participate as Leo-Lions, joining Lions as the transition to lifelong community service.

LEOS have developed a motto from their name – Leadership, Experience and Opportunity.

PDG – Past District Governor

A Lion who has previously served as a District Governor.

PID – Past International Director

A Lion who has previously served as an International Director.

PIP – Past International President

A Lion who has previously served as President of Lions Clubs International. In MD201 we only have one, Barry Palmer AO.

RC – Region Chairperson

Some Districts group Zones into regions. The Region Chairperson is the Lion chosen by the District Governor to care for, and organise, zones within that region.

VDG – Vice District Governor

A member of the District Governor Team elected at the District Convention. Note: The Vice-District Governor must still stand for election at District Convention to be elected as DGE, and that election may be contested.

First, Second, Third-Vice ?

You might see 2VDG, 2VP, etc. Many positions in Lions have 1st Vice, 2nd Vice and 3rd Vice roles.

ZC – Zone Chairperson

Districts are divided into Zones, each zone comprising 6-10 Clubs. The Zone Chairperson is the Lion chosen by the District Governor to care for, and organise, clubs within that zone.

]]>http://lionsaustralia.com/2018/02/02/what-are-those-lions-acronyms/feed/4lionseoOMGNew Leadership opportunitieshttp://lionsaustralia.com/2018/02/01/new-leadership-opportunities/
http://lionsaustralia.com/2018/02/01/new-leadership-opportunities/#respondWed, 31 Jan 2018 22:46:09 +0000http://lionsaustralia.com/?p=1491Continue reading New Leadership opportunities]]>Lions Clubs International thrives on the skills, experience and commitment of our volunteers. It also provides the opportunity for our members to extend themselves beyond their professional experience, into new roles.

I’m pleased to announce some new opportunities for members with particular skills and experience.

Deputy Legal Officer

The Lions Australia(MD201) Legal Officer position is a critical role. It provides important support and advice to the Multiple District Council and others on matters related to the Constitution, By-Laws, Council Policy and Convention resolutions. It also provides advice to the organisation on the compliance with the laws of the land. In recent times, this includes matters related to tax and Deductible Gift Recipient status, business compliance, child protection and conflict resolution

The Multiple District Council is seeking a qualified, practising lawyer to support our very respected Legal Officer in the delivery of this role.

Disaster Recovery Advisory Team (2 positions)

The Multiple District Council is exploring the concept of a Disaster Recovery Advisory Team. The team will work with our 19 Lions Districts to better understand the diversity of approaches each District takes in disaster relief, management and recovery. The Team will provide advice to Districts seeking support on this traditional role of many Lions clubs.

The team will meet by teleconference and is seeking a Chairperson with experience in a Disaster Management role and an Information Technology/Communications Officer.

National Diabetes Coordinator

Combatting Diabetes has been adopted by Lions Clubs International to join our other four key service areas of Hunger Relief, Paediatric Cancer, Youth, Environment and Vision.

The Multiple District Council has created the new position of National Diabetes Coordinator to drive our response to this service area. The position, within the Global Service Team area, will work with the District’s to identify and promote Diabetes Service initiatives within Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Lions should be aware of common e-mail and social media scams targeting club members. Sadly, some of our members have been targeted with these scams.

The most common method is that a member will receive an e-mail, apparently from a member known to them, indicating that they are in trouble or have an urgent bill to pay. These e-mails appear to come from a valid e-mail address and mention the name of the Lion. Another common method is where a club receives an invoice to be paid for services such as insurance. In a busy club transacting substantial business, such invoices may be paid as a matter of routine.

Please be aware:
1. E-mail addresses can be ‘forged’. Despite appearing to have been sent from one e-mail address, it can originate from another source.
2. Scammers will use social media, newspapers and other sources to create a believable story. They will identify a member who has posted online that they are travelling, and use that to fabricate a story.
3. Despite the fact that the Lions directory is only provided to members, e-mail addresses can be harvested by other means.
4. Links in scam e-mails direct the user to forged websites. These websites look the same as the authentic website but the “URLS” (web address and links) send the user to scam links.

Member in trouble scams
Although the natural inclination of our members is to assist their fellow Lions, please consider that a Lion who is genuinely in trouble would be more likely to seek local help, or use the telephone, rather than send an e-mail. Never send money to others without confirming their identity.

Fake invoice/account scams
Invoices received by the club should always be checked. The usual practice is that the person who has ordered the service, (eg: rented the marquee, purchased insurance, purchased supplies) should authorise the invoice.

Note: If the e-mail has a link to a website to check the invoice; ignore it. The safest method is to type in the web address or telephone the provider.

Finally, these scams are well-developed and appear authentic. I would encourage you to support members who have been affected through no fault of their own.

Lions’ Past International Director, Dr Bob Coulthard AM, passed away peacefully this morning. A Lion of immense stature and contribution, I will leave it to others to comment on his considerable achievements on the National and International stage, not the least of which was promoting the Campaign Sightfirst program that, through the Lions Clubs International Foundation, has saved the sight of millions throughout the world.

Dr Bob at the Lions Convention in Hamburg in 2013

Dr Bob joined Lions in 1963, the year I was born, and served continuously and actively since then.

I came to know Dr Bob mostly through our International Conventions. Since representing our Lions on the International Board, Bob missed only one International Convention.

I took this photograph as Bob joined us on parade in Hamburg, something he saw as a duty and an honour to do, and I know he was disappointed not to be able to march with us at the Centennial Convention in Chicago this year.

I often found myself walking beside Dr Bob, (although he cheekily, and routinely, reminded me that “in the old days, I would be relegated to the back with the other Lions out of uniform”. )

At many Conventions, I would sit next to Dr Bob during the International Convention plenary sessions and listen to his quiet, continuous commentary, sharing the stories and history of the various Lions that would appear briefly on stage. We all marvelled at Bob’s encyclopaedic knowledge of our organisation, its history, politics and personalities.

In the manner of the wise, he would repeat those reflections to me each year, which was very welcome, as I lacked Bob’s ability to retain that knowledge, so it was a pleasure to be reminded. Despite the passing of the years those stories remained faithful and consistent.

Today I spoke with a Lion from his club at Marion in South Australia who said Dr Bob was with them as usual at the fortnightly fundraising BBQ, which is simply a perfect example of the quality of our Past International Director. As a Lion, service to his club and community was paramount.

Organisations have their treasures, their icons and legends. Dr Bob is one of these and will remain alive in our history and hearts.

Our sympathy goes out to Jill and all his family.

]]>http://lionsaustralia.com/2017/09/26/vale-lion-dr-bob-coulthard-am/feed/7lionseoDr Bob Couthard AMA glimpse into our historyhttp://lionsaustralia.com/2016/08/17/a-glimpse-into-our-history/
http://lionsaustralia.com/2016/08/17/a-glimpse-into-our-history/#commentsWed, 17 Aug 2016 03:38:51 +0000http://lionsaustralia.com/?p=1311Continue reading A glimpse into our history]]>Last year I received a mysterious package from the family of the late Lion Roy Worfold. Roy’s family were sorting his belongings and found this 16mm film with the title “What is a Lions Club”, dated 21 April 1969. The label on the can indicated it had been produced in Chicago. The family indicated that Roy had been commissioned by Lions Clubs International to produce this film, but had little other information.

Our directory shows that Lion Roy served on the Lions Council from 1965 to 1966.

Despite being intrigued to hold a film that was produced in the year of the first successful moon landing, it’s not that easy to find a lazy 16mm projector to view the film and assess its worth. So it sat in my office for a while.

A few weeks ago I was pressed to finalise our Lions Centennial presentation that will be part of a travelling display for our region and was struggling to find a suitable short video to include. We have a range of productions, but nothing seemed to fit.

So I decided to ‘take a punt’, ship the film off for converting to video and see if we had a gem.

I was pleased to discover a very delightful piece of Australian Lions history. This video that focussed on Lions Clubs in Queensland, highlighted a number of club, their activites and projects. Although from the ‘blokey’ Lions era (over 33% of our current Lions are women), it shows that many of our values have remained unchanged over time. Service to the community, friendship and fun, and a willingness to roll up your sleeves and get things done.

The themes: helping people with a disability, environmental projects, urban
improvements, medical research and leadership development, remain relevant.

A particular highlight was a few scenes focussed on one of our most successful Youth Programs, the Youth of the Year Program. I wonder if anyone recognises the faces? Those boys will be in their mid-60’s by now. What did they achieve, or are still achieving?

I wonder if you recognise any of the Lions in the video?

Lions Clubs International turns 100 next year and in Australia and PNG, it will be our 70th anniversary.

As we approach the next 100 years of Lions, how would we like the Lions of the next millenia to reflect on our achievements?

Lions Australia is a signatory to DonateLife’s National Communication Charter and we adopted our own policy regarding Organ and Tissue Donation at our National Convention in Echuca. You can read it here, but put simply, we’d like all of our members to take some time at a club meeting, to discuss Organ and Tissue Donation amongst themselves and with friends and family.

I have followed some of the social media chatter about this issue, and as usual, much of the conversation involves trying to turn a very complex issue into narrow and absolute statements. Some suggest the donation of organs and tissues should be the default position; those choosing not to donate being required to specifically ‘opt out’. Some suggest that if one does not elect to donate their organs and tissues, they ought not to be able to receive donated organs if the need arises.

Caring, thinking human beings see the value of organ and tissue donation, particularly when we think of the many desperately ill individuals whose lives can be improved. That is why we state in our policy, that we “view organ donation as an expression of care for others, consistent with Lions humanitarian goals.”

The reason we need to discuss our loved ones wishes is that we need to know their views and beliefs beforehand. It is easy to believe you would honour your loved ones wishes over a dinner discussion, but when they are lying in a hospital bed the decision can be impossibly hard. When you have spent days or weeks caring for your loved ones as they pass away, it is just not that easy.

The request to consent to organ donation comes at the worst time possible. Carers are grieving, they probably haven’t slept for many days and they are dealing with one of the most significant, life changing events.

The discussion about donation starts when you still have hope for your loved ones recovery and continues through the time that hope fails, and you plan to say goodbye. More importantly, when you have finally made the decision to say goodbye, your consent to organ donation means you have to wait. Wait for the various tests to process and wait for the recipients of your loved ones organs and tissues to be mobilised, because successful donation is all about timing.

That is why, for me, the last thing one should do is judge others about their decision.

Lions Australia asks its members to talk about their views and thoughts on Organ and Tissue donation, to learn about the process and to share their thoughts with friends and families. There is great support from DonateLife with information and resources and a wonderful caring team that can help us all to find out more.

I was in this position not so long ago and the decision-making process is desperately difficult. I didn’t know my son’s views about Organ and Tissue donation; it’s not something you discuss with the young. I was lucky to hear from one of my son’s dearest friends who volunteered how he ‘chipped’ her for not electing Organ Donation on her driver’s licence. That, of course, made the difference as we felt duty-bound to honour our young man’s wishes.

It cannot diminish the loss, but our family can feel some empathy with those fortunate individuals who have the hope of a long, happy life with borrowed lungs and can forgo dialysis with shared kidneys.

It’ s that time of year again. The time when we look through our member lists and consider what we should do about those members who we haven’t seen for a while.

It’s very tempting to make judgements about why they haven’t been around.

Too busy?

Disinterested?

Can’t afford it?

Don’t care?

And with that judgement there comes a ‘stroke of the pen’ and we lose two hands towards our humanitarian work.

My wish is that we change “Membership Cleanout” time to “RUOK” time.

You can describe our organisation in many ways. “We make things happen”. “We serve” “The worlds largest service club organisation”. One descriptor though, says it all for me. “WE CARE”.

Everything we do in our organisations is an expression of how we care, for our community, for people in need, for those in trouble. Most importantly however, it is an expression of how Lions care for their own Lions family and members.

Centennial Coordinator

Lions District N5

Fellow Lions, Lioness and Leos

Our Centennial Service Challenge goal of serving 100 million people by 2018

I fear that few people when asked to give a definition of greatness would speak of service to others. Our Clubs have excelled in service to others. We are not just another volunteer group in our community, but we are at the centre of community life, caring about and looking after one another.

Our service shines a powerful light of hope that has often created positive change in people’s lives. Yet what’s interesting about our clubs is that we are really not much different than any other Lions club.

Most clubs have a core group of members with extra motivation, passion and leadership that lifts up the other members.

We all work together as a Club, dedicated to our mission of service in helping people in need. But one thing is clear: that our members have taken “that Lions’ Spirit” to new levels of service. Our Lions family is a true “light of hope” and we know that, as Helen Steiner RiceWrote:

“Time is not measured by the years that we live, but by the deeds that we do and the joys that we give.”

How do we maintain our enthusiasm if we find ourselves in a down cycle? What helps maintain your enthusiasm in Lions is a little different for each person for each Club? I would like to offer some suggestions.

Visit another club. Other clubs can give us ideas about how to improve our own clubs; they may also highlight the good things about our club.

Go to a Zone, or District meeting. Get to know other Lions, enjoy the “family reunion” and find out what is going on outside your own Lions world. Each club has a uniquepersonality and different ways of contributing to Lions and the community.

There’s never been a better time to “Serve” than now! For nearly 100 years Lions have served their communities, and to celebrate our Centennial Service Challenge goal of serving 100 million people by 2018 we are asking all Lions Lioness and Leos to assist.

Many of our Clubs have already committed to participate in the “Centennial Challenge” four core projects:Engaging Our Youth, Sharing the Vision,Relieving the Hunger, Protecting Our Environment. Please maintain your enthusiasm, keep up the good work and commit to our Centennial Goal.

]]>http://lionsaustralia.com/2015/01/20/a-perspective-on-the-lions-centennial/feed/3lionseoElvioYoung South Australians, We Servehttp://lionsaustralia.com/2014/12/22/young-south-australians-we-serve/
http://lionsaustralia.com/2014/12/22/young-south-australians-we-serve/#commentsMon, 22 Dec 2014 01:57:57 +0000http://lionsaustralia.com/?p=1171Continue reading Young South Australians, We Serve]]>Lions often wonder about how we encourage younger people to form clubs and become Lions. There is no better way to find out than to ask a young Lion.

Here is a story from a young club full of them!

Rob Oerlemans

Written by Lion Glynn Jones

Adelaide University Lions Club.

12 months ago if you asked me what I knew about the Lions Club, the first thing that would come to mind is the 6 year old me pestering my mum to buy me some Lions Club mints from the Penrith branch of the State Bank. I’m not even sure if you can still get the Lions Club Mints, however I do know that the State Bank no longer exists. The second thing that would come to mind is that Lions Club help their communities and they cook a mean sausage at Bunnings. That is where my knowledge would have ended.

Fast-forward 12 months. I am now part of one of the most exciting ventures my student life has thrown at me. I’m not your normal school leaving student. I served 6 years in the Royal Australian Air Force, and I have been a professional photographer pretty much since I left school in 2003. I joined University as a means to an end, the end being a career change into Marketing. I treated my studies as a job, as something I was doing to move onwards in my career goals. However I was doing it wrong. University is about a lot more than just lectures, exams and certificates. University is meant to be a place that provides you the platform to better yourself not only professionally, but to better yourself so you can be of more use to society in general.

So what has got me so excited? What has made me change the way I see my studies? The Adelaide University

Lions Club is the reason why I’m so excited. This brand new club has the potential to be a driving force in connecting the University of Adelaide to its community. It has the potential to take University students away from the laptops and into the community. The Adelaide University Lions club aims to give its members the platform they need to engage in their community and do some good for it. The bonus is that whilst they are helping others, the students will also be gaining invaluable life skills along with sort after professional development opportunities. You might be wondering why our lions club is different, why is so exciting? Lions Club is a behemoth in the charity world, It has over 1.36 million members situated in over 210 countries. Adelaide University Lions Club is one of the first university student run clubs in Australia. We have the full support of Lions Club Australia who view this project as a building platform and inspiration for other university clubs to start up across our fine country.

Students bring a passion that only youth can bring. We bring new ideas, new ways of doing things and new ways to offer help to our community. Since the club has been officially sanctioned by Lions Club Australia we have began to spread the word and build our membership. We now have over 300 followers on our Facebook page and that grows everyday. We will be using a digital approach to promote our fundraising events and will be putting on events that young people can relate to. We will then be aiming to start to offer the Adelaide community help where the community seeks it. One potential project that I am very excited about starting is the Adelaide University Lions Club program we’re going to call “Your friend before you arrive”. This program aims to connect Lions members with incoming students who did not grow up in Adelaide. The aim is to have an Adelaide University Lions Club member meet them when they arrive, show them around and also be there for them when they might need a little help or if they just miss home. We know it can be hard moving away from home and first year university can be stressful enough without the anxiety of living in a new city without the support network that you are used to. This is one of many future services we aim to provide to our community.

We are a young club in both our members’ age and in time we have been around, but we are driven, passionate and ready and willing to help. We are young South Australians and we serve.

]]>http://lionsaustralia.com/2014/12/22/young-south-australians-we-serve/feed/3lionseoAUForming a Club